The excitement leading up to the women’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships on Monday was exactly what track and field needed and craved.
It featured a classic rivalry between the U.S. and Jamaica in a battle for bragging rights in the fastest-woman category between Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha’Carri Richardson.
No disrespect to Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Julien Alfred, Brittany Brown, Dina Asher-Smith, Tamari Davis or Ewa Swoboda, but all eyes were on the aforementioned trio.
And those eyes were definitely laser-focused on Richardson, the young, brash American track star.
Sha’Carri is extremely self-confident and unapologetic in her thoughts and beliefs. Unfortunately, many mistakenly take that as a sign of arrogance and eagerly anticipate her failure at every meet she competes in.
She’s the complete opposite of the soft-spoken Jackson and the always-smiling and bubbly Fraser-Pryce, which adds to the rivalry between the two countries.
But on the track, those attitudes take a backseat to talent and speed and that’s exactly what happened in the 100m finals.
At the gun, Swodoa in lane 1 charged out of the blocks but was quickly run down by Jackson and Shelly-Ann. Yet on the opposite bookend of Swoboda in lane 9, Richardson couldn’t even be seen on camera thanks to her usual slow starts.
But around the 30m mark, Richardson’s legs started to move and she began reeling in the field. With roughly 30m left, she passed everyone as her raw speed powered her down the stretch, with the Jamaicans and the finish line in her sights. It looked like Jackson was going to take it, but Sha’Carri, boosted by her ridiculous finishing speed, surged through the line .07 ahead of Jackson to claim her first world title in a blistering 10.65.
Her gold medal-winning run caused a social media eruption and she quickly became the top story of the day.
Yet the real story is that in under 11 seconds, Sha’Carri, Shericka and Shelly-Ann did for track what others couldn’t- give it the attention, rivalry and storylines it desperately needed.
That’s not to say that Noah Lyles’ 100m victory, Grant Holloway’s third 110mH World title or the thrilling win by the U.S. in the mixed 4x400m relay weren’t exciting, because they absolutely were.
But what these three women did for the sport in that brief moment of time should be celebrated and cherished.
You had Shelly-Ann, who was defending her 2022 World Championship title while also chasing Usain Bolt’s title as the most decorated track athlete in Jamaica’s history.
Rising star Shericka Jackson was trying to improve upon her second-place finish behind her countrywoman at last year’s Championships and win her first World title.
And then there’s Sha’Carri.
Ever since she broke the collegiate 100m record as a freshman at LSU in 2019, Richardson has been a real-life Radio Raheem- a combination of love and hate.
While some loved her flair and attitude, others despised it.
When she won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, her supporters cheered. But when she was disqualified from the Games for using marijuana, her detractors did the same.
When she returned to the track at the Prefontaine Classic in August 2021, her supporters were right there with her. But when she finished last, her haters rose up.
Last year, Sha’Carri ran at the NY Grand Prix and was showered with the type of love and respect only NYers can bestow, and that quickly silenced any hate that tried to rear its ugly head.
Being a lightning rod for attention, both good and bad, is a job Sha’Carri takes to heart for her faith and confidence are too strong to allow her to be battered.
Even when she had to wait to see if she qualified for the 100m final, and then was assigned lane 9, she refused to be unnerved.
Sha’Carri’s 10.65 seconds on the track in the 100m finals, gave everyone- her supporters, haters and herself- proof that her words are bond and that she’s here to stay.
And in that moment, track got everything it had been dying for, all in under 11 seconds.
